White Chocolate Dipped Lemon Shortbread Cookies

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Enjoying the best of citrus season with these sweet, buttery, and extra lemon- y White Chocolate Dipped Lemon Shortbread Cookies! A simple four ingredient shortbread cookie that’s infused with lemon zest, rolled, cut, and baked until crispy. Then, each cookie is dipped in melted white chocolate for an extra bit of sweetness! Bonus? These cookies require zero chilling time and are ready in 30 minutes.

About The Recipe

I’ve noticed that whenever the weather gets cold, as it has done this past week, my mom and I make a citrus recipe. It’s almost like clockwork!

It’s not something we do intentionally, but there’s just something about a sweet citrus-y treat that makes even the coldest winter days seem brighter.

Which is where these gorgeous (and super simple!) lemon shortbread cookies come in.

I love a good cookie. This is no secret. I could eat a cookie alongside every meal and be happy!

So, when my mom and I were discussing recipes for this week, I (naturally) suggested a cookie. Though, trying to figure out what to make was a bit of a challenge!

It actually took us a few days to figure out what we wanted to do.

Our inspiration was one of our most popular recipes, Lemon Crinkle Cookies. They are cookie that everyone really loves! So, with the weather cold, we thought it would be great to share another lemon cookie.

This time, a shortbread!

I think my favorite part about these cookies is that they are literally 4 basic ingredients. Flour, sugar, lemon zest, and butter. Mix it up, roll it out, cut them, and bake! It’s literally THAT easy and there’s no refrigerating time.

Though, I have to admit, I really do love the white chocolate with these cookies!

It’s so simple, but it really does add just a little extra something to these cookies. The sweet creaminess blends so well with the lemon that I could have eaten this whole batch by myself!

They’re the perfect cookie to serve all year long. Winter, spring, summer, or fall! They are sure to be the crowd-favorite at any and every occasion.

What is a Shortbread Cookie?

A shortbread cookie, in its most basic form, is flour, sugar, and butter. The word, “short” comes from its texture. Since there are no liquid ingredients, the cookie gets a very tender and crumbly texture from the butter and lack of development in the gluten!

This version has the addition of lemon zest to give a little bit of flavor to the cookie, as well as being dipped in white chocolate. It’s a fun twist on the classic cookie that is seriously delicious!

Reasons You Will Love These Shortbread Cookies

• The entire recipe is only SIX ingredients!
• No refrigeration time.
• Crumbly, tender, and oh-so delicious.
• Uses only the zest of the lemon.
• Super quick to make (30 minutes!).
• A real crowd pleaser.

Equipment Needed

• Mixing Bowls
• Hand Mixer
• Rolling Pin
• Sheet Pans
• Fluted Round Cookie Cutter

Ingredients

(Full ingredient amounts and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post)

For The Cookies:

• Salted Butter – Using salted butter in this recipe is essential, as the recipe doesn’t have any salt in it! Remember to set your butter out a few hours ahead of time to allow it to come to room temperature.
• Granulated Sugar – Adds just the right amount of sweetness!
• All-Purpose Flour – This gives the cookies their perfect crumbly texture.
• Lemon Zest – Adds the perfect amount of lemon flavor without adding more liquid to the cookie dough!

For The White Chocolate:

• White Chocolate Chips – Make sure to use white chocolate and not white candy melts for this recipe!
• Coconut Oil – This is our go-to for melting chocolate! Though, if you don’t have coconut oil, you can use any neutral flavored oil.

How To Make Lemon Shortbread Cookies

Step 1: Make the dough

With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until creamy, about 1 minute.

Add flour and zest. Mix only until blended.

Using the heat from your hands, form into a ball.

Step 2: Roll and cut

Place cookie dough on parchment paper and roll out between 2 pieces of parchment paper to 3/16 inch thick.

Cut with 2 inch round cutter.

Step 3: Bake

Place cookies on prepared cookie sheets. Re-roll and cut remaining dough. Bake for 10 minutes, until just starting to color.

Step 4: Melt chocolate

Combine chocolate and oil in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high power for 30 seconds. Stir well. Microwave in 15 second increments, stirring after each, until melted and smooth.

Step 5: Dip

Dip ⅓ of each cookie into melted chocolate. Set on parchment paper to dry.

How To Zest A Lemon

The best way to zest a lemon is with a zester! Though, if you don’t have one, a very fine cheese grater will do, but it’s really worth investing in a zester, as it’s a great tool to have. From there, thoroughly wash your lemon and dry it with a towel.

Now, you’re ready to zest! Hold the zester at an angle over a plate (just in case some falls off!) and push/pull your lemon until you reach the white of the rind. Once you see white, stop zesting and rotate the lemon! Continue as you did before and repeat until the entire lemon has been zested.

Depending on the size of your lemons, you may need more than one lemon.

Decorating Ideas

After you dip each cookie in chocolate, you may be wondering if there’s anything else you can do to make them even cuter. The answer is YES! Here are a few things we love to decorate these cookies with.

• Yellow Decorating Sugar – This adds a cute pop of yellow on top of the white chocolate and adds a little bit of crunch!
• Fresh Lemon Zest – Because, you can never have too much lemon! It also adds a cute pop of yellow, as well.
• Edible Gold Leaf – This makes these cookies EXTRA fancy, but oh so pretty!
• Edible Flowers – Especially if it’s Spring! Pansies, lilacs, chamomile, and violas are GORGEOUS on top of these cookies.
• Drizzle The Chocolate – Not in the mood to dip? You can drizzle the chocolate over each cookie!

How To Store

Once these cookies are baked and cooled, you can store these cookies in an airtight container or zip top bag and keep on the counter for 3-5 days. You can also store them in a freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 2 months!

Substitutions

• To make this recipe vegan/dairy-free, you can use your favorite plant-based butter, as well as a vegan white chocolate.
• If you don’t have coconut oil, you can use any neutral flavored oil instead.

Looking for more recipes lemon recipes? Here are a few you may like: Iced Lemon Loaf Cake, Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes, Glazed Lemon Doughnuts, Lemon Pound Cake, Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Expert Tips

• Remember to set out your butter ahead of time to allow it to come to room temperature.
• Do not over-mix/work the cookie dough! Mixing as little as possible help keeps the texture short and tender.
• If you use different sized cookie cutter, the bake time will need to be adjusted.
• It’s best to bake these cookies on a light colored sheet pan.

When you make these White Chocolate Dipped Lemon Shortbread Cookies, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.

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